Nigel
Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, said: “The list of famous
Belgians will not be extended by his appointment. This is the man who
will have more power than David Cameron or Gordon Brown and we are not
given a say.

“All this proves one thing – the British people must have a referendum on whether we stay part of this union.”

And
Labour MP Ian Davidson, a rare Eurosceptic on the Government benches,
said: “I am appalled to hear that the apparent leading candidate has
committed himself to Europe-wide taxation and is in favour of
ever-closer union with Brussels.

“If we’d had a
referendum on the Lisbon Treaty we would have been able to set Europe
in a new direction, but it would appear this opportunity has been lost.”

Van
Rompuy, a married father of three who was an economist and banker
before starting a career in politics, is more famous in his own country
for writing Japanese-style poems than any for political achievements.

He
has frequently advocated turning Europe into a super-state, wants to
abolish national symbols like flags and anthems, and is in favour of
punitive tax-raising powers for the EU.

Even Belgians were yesterday applauding the Daily Express’s outspoken opposition to the bureaucrat’s rise.

Mick
Willems contacted the newspaper to say: “Mr Van Rompuy is a nobody who
hasn’t done anything since as prime minister – not that anyone knows
of, at least.

“The Belgian people want to get rid of him, but we fear an even bigger idiot is going to take the seat of premier.”